The doppler weather radar (DWR) at Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, which has been in the pipeline for the past few years, may finally see daylight as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has identified the site for the project and is awaiting clearance from the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences. S B Thampi, Deputy Director General, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, said, “The radar at Ramnad will be highly essential as that area is prone to cyclone hits. Notably, there is either a major tropical storm or a cyclone wreaking havoc in that area every four to five years. We have identified the site and given a recommendation to higher authorities.” Significantly, the radar along the Rameshwaram coastline, as and when finally commissioned, will replace Karaikal as the southernmost weather radar of the IMD, thereby giving a fillip to weather forecast coverage in southern districts of the state. Presently, radars are functioning at Karaikal, Chennai, Sriharikota, Machilipattinam, Vizag, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata.